


Team FLAM (Flame)

by Wholocked394



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Gen, other tags to come later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-10-24 03:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10732860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wholocked394/pseuds/Wholocked394
Summary: An orphaned Faunus, an ex gang member, a runaway and a snarky Mistralian join together to create Team FLAM.Heartbreak, betrayal, and a whole heap of trouble await during their time at Beacon Academy. But when it comes to the wire, will they be ready for the darkness that threatens the safety of all Remnant?





	1. Scarlet Frost

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a thing I guess. Title is a big work in progress since I haven't put much thought into it yet.
> 
> I plan to work on as a way to get myself into continuing Avengelock Rhapsody, since I hit a wall with it.
> 
> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" a tall male with slicked back shoulder length black hair asked as he neared the edge of the steep cliff he and his companions had found themselves.

"Not sure really. Hadn't thought of that since I was more focused on trying to get us away from that thing." a slightly shorter girl with wavy shoulder length dark brown hair replied snappily as she gestured to the Grimm in front of them. She took a moment to take stock of the situation. "Do you think we could jump it?"

"I would put that as a definite 'no'. It's about twice the height of any of us." a man with spiked shoulder length red hair pointed out.

"We could always try dodging to the side and let it run off the cliff?" the final member of the group, a girl with long bright orange hair suggested.

"Hmm... Actually that gives me an idea. Get ready to rush to the sides of this thing." the black hair man directed with a nod to the girl with dark brown hair. "Ready on your signal."

"Alright then let's give it a go. On the count of three." the girl replied.

"One." The group prepared themselves to dive side-wards.

"Two..." The Grimm huffed as it prepared to charge.

"Three!"

* * *

**5 MONTHS EARLIER - City of Vale.**

"Scarlet are you ready?" a voice called from downstairs.

"Almost Mum. I'll be down in a moment." Scarlet called in reply, grabbing her black beanie with a skull design and heading over to the full length mirror in her room.

She took a moment to look at her reflection. She had chosen to wear a vibrant scarlet red tshirt under a pale blue leather jacket, with black tight fitting pants. She had finished her outfit with a pair of black boots that had golden accents around the trim.

Looking back up at her face she saw her own electric blue eyes staring back. She reached up and carefully ran a hand through her dark brown hair, making sure not to catch the cat ears nestled on her head. Scarlet sighed, wiggling her cat ears before folding them back and gently pulling on the beanie she still held, making sure the skull design was at the front.

Once she was certain everything was in its place and that her ears were comfortable, Scarlet left her room and headed downstairs.

"I'm ready Mum." Scarlet announced as she reached the base of the stairs.

"I do wish you wouldn't hide under that hat of yours Scarlet..." Scarlet's mother sighed gently, before opening the front door. "But it's your own decision. Let's get going. Your father went ahead to make sure we got the table we booked."

Scarlet waked out onto the street as her mother closed and locked the front door to their home. The duo walked down the streets of Vale toward the restaurant that had been booked for dinner. Scarlet opened the door for her mother and they both entered the restaurant.

Glancing around at the various tables, Scarlet's mother quickly spotted Scarlet's father and the two quickly made their way over and sat down.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long my dear." Scarlet's mother said to her husband as a waiter walked to the table to take their orders.

"Not long at all. In fact you have perfect timing seeing as the waiter is here." Scarlet's father replied with a smile, telling the waiter his order shortly afterwards.

Both Scarlet and her mother placed their orders and the family sat and discussed their days while the food was prepared.

The waiter returned shortly afterwards with their orders, placing them on the table before heading elsewhere.

Everyone tucked into their respective plates of food as the earlier topics of conversation flowed across the table.

As the night moved on, and dinner moved to dessert, Scarlet's father's expression turned somber as he looked from his wife to his daughter, before shifting his gaze to the fourth, empty chair at the table. He sighed, taking a sip of his drink before finally speaking.

"I trust you both remember the reason why we're here tonight?"

"Of course we do dad. It's the same reason we come here on this day every year." Scarlet replied.

"What has it been? 6 years since he left to join the White Fang?" Scarlet's mother queried, lowering her voice so as not to draw attention.

"6 years exactly." Scarlet's father confirmed. "And we have not heard a thing from him since they turned to more... violent methods."

The family finished their deserts in silence, with Scarlet's father only speaking to pay and thank the waiter for their meal.

They left the restaurant and began the short journey home in the cold early spring air.

As they approached the front door, Scarlet's father stopped quickly and motioned for everyone to wait.

"Something's not right... It's far too quiet."

Scarlet peered around her father and her eyes widened in shock. "Dad the front door's been broken open."

"I can see that Scarlet." her father replied quietly as he moved closer to the front door. "Both of you stay behind me. Once we are in, Scarlet I want you to run and get me my sword from the hallway closet."

Scarlet nodded, and got ready to run as they moved into the entrance of their home.

"Go Scarlet. Quick and quiet. Whoever broke in may still be here." Scarlet's mother instructed, taking a defensive position next to her husband.

Scarlet moved as silently as she could down the hallway until she reached the closet. She grabbed her father's sword, and had prepared to sprint back to her parents when the sound of glass shattering broke the silence. She heard her parents shout as sounds of a fight travelled down the hall. Fearing for her parents, Scarlet dashed back before stopping abruptly at the scene in front of her.

Her parents lay in a crumpled heap against the wall, and White Fang grunts stood around them.

Tears of both fear and anger welled in Scarlet's eyes as she unsheathed her father's sword.

"Get away from my parents!" Scarlet yelled, charging forwards and swinging the sword at the grunts.

Unfortunately for Scarlet, she had failed to check her surroundings, giving one of the White Fang grunts time to detonate a smoke bomb, leaving Scarlet unable to see as she blindly swung the sword she held around.

The distraction allowed the grunts to surround Scarlet, and as the smoke cleared she found herself cornered.

Taking a moment to think, Scarlet charged the grunt closest to her parents, using the momentum from the short distance to launch herself slightly into the air so she could vault over them. She quickly turned and struck the grunt as she landed as hard as she could with the hilt of the sword, stumbling slightly before she regained her footing.

The grunt took a step back, giving a sideways nod to signal the other grunts to attack.

Unprepared for the assault Scarlet quickly fell to the ground, landing roughly against the shattered glass that lay on the floor. She hissed in pain as she bought a hand to her left eye, pulling it back to see blood. The next thing she knew she was picked up and thrown across the room, slamming heavily against the wall. She felt her consciousness begin to fade quickly as she saw the White Fang grunts filter out the front door and escape into the night.

The last thing she heard was the sound of flapping wings, followed by quick footsteps before she finally passed out.

* * *

**5 MONTHS LATER, 1 WEEK BEFORE INITIATION - Beacon Academy**

"Are you sure you want to go ahead with this Scarlet?"

"I am Professor Ozpin." Scarlet replied, tearing her eyes away from the scar that ran across her left eye. "I may not have the skill and experience of the other students, but this is the only chance I have to get stronger."

"Getting stronger will only get you so far. Remember, mental strength is just as important as physical strength." Ozpin replied, taking a sip from his coffee cup. "Especially with the world as it is."

"I know. I just feel like I have a lot to make up for. Unlike the others that get to attend Beacon I haven't been to a combat school. Hell I don't even have my own weapon yet." Scarlet sighed, looking over at the nearby desk where there were multiple weapon blueprints. "I have the design for it all drawn out, I just don't know where to begin when it comes to making it."

"Well I'm sure that Mr Branwen can give you a hand when he comes to check on you tomorrow." Ozpin replied. "But for now, let's go over your plan for initiation."


	2. Axel Ignazio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As two members of the feared gang known as The Organisation attempt to leave, they can't help but think of what the future will hold should they succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I'm probably going to suck at summaries for this chapter and the next two but hey, I tried.  
> Next chapter with any luck should be out next week. No promises though.

**6 MONTHS BEFORE INITIATION - Vacuo Outskirts - Abandoned Warehouse**

"Axel! Do you have those dust shipments stored yet like I told you?"

"Of course. All Stored and categorised like you wanted." Axel replied. "Can I head back to base now?"

"You may. Take Roxas back with you. He's outside testing the range capabilities of his weapon."

Axel gave a mock salute to Saïx before heading to the back of the warehouse they were in and walking outside. He found Roxas nearby, firing away at test dummies.

He took a moment to examine Roxas' weapon, which was a key-shaped sword with built in pistol, before walking up beside him.

"Hey Roxas how's it going?" Axel asked as he approached the slightly younger boy from behind.

"What do you want Axel? I'm busy practising." Roxas responded dismissively.

"Jeez talk about getting the cold shoulder." Axel retorted with a smirk. "Didn't you ever get taught to respect your elders?"

Roxas grunted in frustration as he lowered his weapon, placing it on a nearby bench. "You're hardly my elder. I'm only 5 months younger than you." He sat lazily on the bench before continuing. "Why are you even out here Axel?"

"I'm headed back to base. Saïx told me to take you back with me." Axel replied. "Grab your weapon and let's go."

Roxas sighed and picked his weapon back up. "I had hoped I would be able to get a bit more practice in, but orders are orders. Let's head out."

Axel nodded briefly and moved back toward the warehouse where thirteen weapon lockers rested against the outer wall. He opened the locker with 'VIII' engraved onto it and retrieved his weapons, two chakrams, before walking back to Roxas.

"Right. Back to base we go!" Axel exclaimed cheerfully as he and Roxas began walking northward to the forest surrounding the warehouse.

Once they had gotten a reasonable distance away, Roxas stopped and sighed heavily. "How much longer are we going to have to keep doing this Axel? Having to act like I'm not your friend is getting tiring."

Axel stopped a few paces ahead and turned to face Roxas. "Not much longer. I'd say tomorrow we should be able to leave the Organisation." He walked back to his friend and ruffled his hair. "And the only reason you have to act like you don't like me is so that they don't suspect anything. I mean, you remember what happened the last time we tried to leave."

Roxas pulled a photo from his coat pocket. It depicted himself, Axel and a girl of similar age to Roxas all in the traditional clothing of the Organisation, sitting by a fountain eating ice cream and enjoying themselves. "How could I forget? It's my fault we got caught that time..." He shuddered and returned the photo to its place, looking at Axel sadly. "If I had just stayed with the plan then Xion would still be alive."

"Hey now, what have I told you? It's not your fault. The plan back then was pretty flimsy, anything could have happened." Axel replied, turning away from Roxas and beginning to walk onward. "Come on. If we take too long they'll have Xigbar out searching for us."

Roxas wiped the few tears that had formed in his eyes and nodded before catching up to Axel. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

"It's simple. I set up a mission for us at a small settlement in the desert not far from Vacuo. I figured that with the sandstorms they'd have a harder time tracking us, and Xehanort gave it the go ahead. We set out tomorrow morning at 5am." Axel explained, looking toward the trees before back at the path ahead. "During a previous mission there a few days ago I arranged for a guy to take us through the desert. According to him there is a town there where we'll be able to restock on supplies." Axel exhaled and looked at the shy through the trees, noting that the sun was now beginning to set. "Once we're outta here, I plan on making my way to Vale. Maybe I'll try getting into Beacon academy, see where it takes me."

Roxas took a moment to take in the plan Axel had told him, before realising something. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"You can do whatever you want. But you'll have to do it without me." Axel replied bluntly. "It wont take them long to realise we're gone. Xehanort can and probably will send the rest of the Organisation out to track us down and either capture us or kill us. For that reason I feel it will be safer to split up and go our separate ways."

"But where am I supposed to go?" Roxas asked, now slightly worried.

Axel pondered this for a moment before answering. "How about you make your way to Vale too? You'd have to find your own way there, but it means we may at least be able to find each other again in the future."

"That... sounds like a decent enough plan." Roxas agreed, cheering up again. "Who knows, I might just try to get into Beacon too. Then we can be on the same team!"

"You mean I could be stuck with you for another four years?" Axel joked, gently resting an elbow on Roxas' head as they walked. "Lucky me."

Roxas swatted Axel's arm away and the duo laughed as they continued their way back the base of Organisation XIII.

As the base came into view, Axel stopped Roxas and turned to him.

"We'd best avoid each other while we're here. Don't forget to set your alarm." Axel glanced ahead then back at Roxas. "And pack anything you don't want to leave behind. Once we leave, we're never coming back."

Roxas nodded, and they quickly entered before checking in. After eating, they headed off to their rooms to pack and get the rest they would need for their planned escape.

 

**MEANWHILE - Elsewhere in the Organisation XIII Base**

"Are you sure its such a good idea to let those two go on this mission together? What if they try and make a run for it again?" a hooded figure asked, looking at Xehanort as he laid back in his chair.

"Oh I can guarantee that they will try to escape." Xehanort replied calmly. "And that is exactly why we are letting them leave, Saïx."

"If that is what you want, then very well." Saïx answered, pulling down his hood and brushing a strand of hair away from his face before bowing. "I shall not interfere with their escape.

* * *

**THE NEXT DAY - Other side of the Vacuo Desert - Town of Lornesse**

"Alright this place should have everything you two need to get through the wilds." the man that had transported them through the desert informed.

"Thanks." Axel replied, handing over a small briefcase of lien. "This should more than cover the cost of transporting us here."

"Thank you. Its not every day you see people from the Organisation actually try to leave. Good luck out there."

Axel and Roxas nodded as the man got back into his vehicle and began the drive back through the desert. Axel took a moment to look around, quickly spotting the general store and the inn.

They started by going to the general store and stocking up on as much as they could, before heading into the inn.

The lobby of the inn was simple in design. Stairs leading to the guest rooms were to the right, while on the left was the dining room leading to the kitchen. Toward the back of the lobby was a desk, behind which a young woman was writing numbers into a ledger. She looked up when she heard Axel and Roxas enter, and a smile grew on her face.

"It's been a while since I've seen a new face here." She announced as she opened the reservations book. "My name is Sapphire. How can I be of service?"

Axel moved closer to the counter as Roxas looked around the room. "We'd like to rent two rooms please."

"Alright I'll just need your names and how long you plan on staying."

"My name is..." Axel paused, wondering how to continue before Roxas stepped in beside him.

"He's Lea Ignazio. I'm Sora Hikari. We don't plan on staying long, just a day or two so we can find out the safest path to Vale."

Sapphire nodded absently as she wrote the information down in the book. "Very well." She turned and took two room keys from their hooks. "You'll find rooms 101 and 111 up the stairs and at the end of the hallway. They're opposite each other so you should have no problems in finding them."

"Thanks." Axel said with a smile, taking his room key and handing Sapphire some lien for both rooms, plus extra. "Keep the change. You should be able to afford for a builder to come out from Vacuo to rebuild this place should any Grimm ever attack."

"Are you sure?" Sapphire exclaimed in shock as she counted the lien, to which Axel simply nodded. "Wow. Thank you so much."

"It's no problem." Roxas said as he took his key and headed to the stairs. "Let us know should you need anything during our stay and we'll see what we can do."

"I will." Sapphire replied with a wide smile as she watched Axel join Roxas and they headed up the stairs.

Once they had reached their rooms, Axel turned to Roxas and frowned lightly. "Why did you say our names were Lea and Sora? We haven't used those names since before we joined the Organisation."

"Exactly. We aren't in the Organisation anymore." Roxas shrugged dismissively. "I figured that since we've left we should go back to our birth names."

"That's all well and good, but to be honest I'm going to stick with Axel for now. Just doesn't seem right going back to Lea after everything." Axel replied, unlocking room 101. "I take it you're going to go back to being Sora?"

"Yeah." Roxas responded, unlocking the door to room 111. "Though for the sake of not raising questions I'm going to keep calling you Lea while we're here, unless we're on our own."

"Fine by me." Axel nodded, opening his door and putting his duffel bag inside around the corner. "I'll meet you in the lobby tomorrow. Do what you want until then."

Roxas entered his room and closed the door, settling in and deciding to sleep for the night. Axel on the other hand left his door slightly ajar before he walked to the desk in his room and sat down. He took note of a small stack of paper and a pen, and decided to write a quick note to Roxas.

After finishing his note, Axel stood and walked back to the door. He picked up his duffel bag and quietly left his room, closing and locking the door before heading to the lobby.

"Is something the matter Mr Ignazio?" Sapphire asked as Axel reached the base of the stairs.

"Nothing at all. Though I am afraid I won't be staying after all." Axel replied, walking to the counter and placing the key and the note he wrote on the desk. "If you could give this note to the guy I came in with tomorrow it would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course." Sapphire nodded, returning the key to its hook before taking the note and placing it into a drawer. "Is there any particular reason you are leaving early?"

"I got some info about a route to Vale earlier and I wanted to set out now." Axel answered with a shrug. "If you're worried about my friend, then don't be. We would be parting ways anyway."

Axel turned away and walked to the entrance to the inn, turning to flash Sapphire a smile. "See ya."

Outside the inn, Axel looked around, swinging his duffel bag gently over his shoulder before heading eastward .

"I hope it doesn't take too long to get to Vale with this route..."  Axel mused silently and he left the town of Lornesse behind. "I would hate to miss the chance to build a bit of a background before trying to get into Vale." He looked down and shook his head with a smile. "Then again, that shouldn't be much of a problem." He looked back to Lornesse and his smile faded slightly. "Take care Rox- No... Sora. Hopefully we'll see each other again."


	3. Loki Silvanos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After completing a mission that was too close to home for his liking, a member of the notorious White Fang decides to cut all ties and leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so what do you know. Pigs can fly and I have two chapters out within a few days of each other. I've managed to surprise myself. Next chapter should be out within the next few days at this rate.
> 
> Any comments on things to improve are greatly appreciated.

**5 MONTHS BEFORE INITIATION - Forest of Forever Fall - White Fang Encampment**

Adam paced back and forth in his tent, waiting for his second in command to return.

Moments later, a tall raven haired teenager with wolf ears and striking emerald green eyes entered, causing Adam to cease his pacing and glare in frustration.

"Where have you been" he growled. "You were supposed to report in from your mission 10 minutes ago!"

"I am aware. However, as Cinder was the one to send me on that mission she ordered that I report to her first." the man answered calmly, unfazed by Adam's outburst. "There was also an... unforeseen complication during the mission."

Adam huffed and sat down at his desk. "I trust this 'complication' was dealt with?" he asked, to which his second in command nodded. "Good."

"Am I free to go now Sir?"

"Yes, you may go." Adam replied, turning his chair to look at the map pinned to the wall before calling back over his shoulder: "And Loki? Don't forget, you answer to  _me_ first. Got it?"

"Got it." Loki replied, bowing his head respectfully before leaving Adam's tent and heading to his own.

Upon entering his tent, Loki sighed wearily. He ran a hand down over his face before walking over to his bed and sitting on it.

"Adam is sure to kill me should he find out what Cinder had me do..." Loki mused quietly, placing his hands behind his head before flopping down on the bed. "He's gotten worse since Blake left... I guess I finally see why."

Loki closed his eyes and though of how it was before Blake had left. He sighed before reopening his eyes and sat himself up. "Adam is going too far, and Cinder is no better... With all the weapons she's supplying to us, not to mention that mission she sent me on..." he sighed, thinking back to the mission earlier that night. "Poor kid... can't have been much younger than me... and she was a faunus, same as us. I dread to think what Cinder plans to do to her parents, but the fact it had to be made to look like they were dead?"

Loki sighed again and stood up, getting a duffel bag from under his desk and opening it, checking its contents thoroughly before nodding to himself. "Good to see Adam has no doubts or suspicions about me. Everything is still here." he picked a few things from his desk and placed them in the bag. He then proceeded over to the small weapon storage chest he had and opened it, removing two daggers and placing them in sheaths before strapping them around his waist.

"Tonight is as good a night as any. Skies are clear, and patrols are more lax since its the weekend. If anyone sees me I can just say I was ordered to check one of the safe houses and make sure everything is running smoothly." Loki planned silently, picking up his duffel bag and placing it on the bed. "Could always leave a note... nah. Not worth it."

Picking up his duffel bag again, Loki walked out of his tent, only to find himself face to face with Cinder Fall. "Just my luck..." he thought.

"Ah, Loki. Tell me, does Adam know of you being out at this time of night?" Cinder asked.

"I'm headed to one of the safe houses in Vale. Adam ordered that I check up on them." Loki replied. "Think of it as punishment for not reporting to him first."

"Oh really? And are you sure you aren't... running away?" Cinder inquired with a sly grin. "After what I had you do tonight I certainly wouldn't blame you."

Loki scoffed. "I have no reason to run. Besides, that family had whatever was coming to them." he lied. "You have no reason to question my loyalties. Now, if you'll excuse me I must be on my way."

Cinder narrowed her eyes, shaking her head lightly.

"Very well then. Just know that I will be keeping an eye on you." she warned casually before walking off to her temporary tent.

Loki gave a curt nod, sighing quickly and quietly before heading into the forest.

Scaling a nearby tree, Loki began leaping from branch to branch until he neared a clearing. He paused, using his heightened hearing to search for any Grimm before jumping down. He looked out toward the city of Vale. "Well... No going back now." he said as he began trudging down a nearby path worn into the grass by travellers. "I wonder if Ozpin will still be willing to allow me that favour he owes me."

Loki paused, spotting a bush nearby and walking to it. He hid within the bush as he carefully removed his White Fang uniform and changed into the clothes he had packed into his duffel bag. Once he was done, he left the bush and checked himself over as best he could. He had chosen to put on a dark green, almost black jacket over a green t-shirt, black trousers, a belt that held various dust vials and ammunition, and finally around his was a green and black chequered scarf.

After he was satisfied, Loki took a small red dust crystal and placed it on his old uniform, wrapping the clothes around it before placing the bundle within the bush. He took a matchbox from his trouser pocket, taking the single match within. Lighting the match, he tossed it onto the clothes, waiting a few seconds for the fabric to catch alight before running as quickly as he could into the city, not looking back when the dust crystal exploded.

He made his way through the streets of Vale, hiding himself in an alleyway when he spotted some members of the Vale Police Department running to investigate the explosion he had created. Once he could no longer hear them, Loki emerged from the alley and set off to find Professor Ozpin in the one place he knew he would be. Beacon Academy.


	4. Midna Atsuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two sisters train at Sanctum Academy. The younger of the two questions if the path she has decided to take is the best for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot shorter than I honestly thought it was going to be. It's only in typing it up have I realised that its the shortest of the four intros...

**3 MONTHS BEFORE INITIATION - Mistral - Sanctum Training Ground**

Weapons clashing was all Midna could hear as she walked though Sanctum's training grounds.

She walked to the far wall and sat at a bench, pulling a bottle of water from under it and taking a small sip.

Moments later a girl slightly older than Midna came and sat next to her.

"You did well today. Your footwork still needs a bit of work, but compared to what it was when you started it's a big improvement." the girl smiled sadly. "I do wish you were going to Haven instead of going all the way to Vale to attend Beacon. I'm going to miss you sis."

"I'll miss you too, but this isn't a chance I'm going to get again Wisteria." Midna replied, replacing the lid on the bottle and putting it back under the bench before standing up and stretching. "Besides, it's not like you'll never see or hear from me again."

"I guess. Just keep me updated on how your fighting is coming along."

Midna chuckled lightly. "I will." she looked out at the other students training. "Let's get back to training. I want to get some more hand to hand training in."

"Alright let's see what you've got." Wisteria replied, standing and stretching quickly.

The sisters returned to the sparring area and took their positions. They signalled to each other when they were ready to begin.

Midna made the first move, aiming a kick to her sister's torso. Wisteria easily blocked and deflected, before successfully retaliating with a left-hook to Midna's shoulder.

Midna took a step back, regaining her balance after the blow and throwing a punch followed by a spin kick. Wisteria blocked the punch, only to be sent sliding back by the following kick. The sisters continued to exchange blows, neither side showing any fault in momentum.

"Not bad." Wisteria commented as she watched Midna re-position her footing. "Though you've forgotten one thing." Wisteria quickly approached her sister, throwing out a punch and allowing it to get blocked, before she swept under Midna's legs with her own, causing her sister to fall to the ground. "Your stance is too lax. A Grimm could easily use their tail to sweep your legs from under you." She held out a hand. "You'll get there though. I know it."

Midna grunted, taking the offered hand and used it to stand up. She dusted herself off before looking at her sister and nodding. "So any pointers on how to improve?"

"I would say to find a balance between attacking and defending. As you are now, you focus too much on the offensive, and when you try to switch to the defensive you mess up with your footing." Wisteria instructed. "If you can find a stance that enables easy attacking and defending, while still being mobile, you'll be all set."

"Right." Midna replied. "How about some ice cream? All that practice has me hungry."

"Fine by me. You deserve it after all the progress you've made."

The sisters left the training area and entered the showers of the girls locker room, washing off the wear and tear of the day before drying and dressing.

After they had finished up, they left Sanctum's training ground and headed into town. They entered the local ice cream parlour and looked around at the selection available.

Walking up to the counter, Midna ordered a double strawberry cone with sprinkles and caramel sauce, while Wisteria settled on a simple small pot of vanilla ice cream with trail mix sprinkled over the top.

Wisteria paid for both lots of ice cream, and followed Midna out of the store. They walked to a nearby bench and sat down, before digging into their frozen treats.

Midna paused after finishing the first of the two scoops of strawberry, licking away the trail of caramel sauce as it threatened to start running over the cone and her fingers. She looked over to Wisteria. "Hey Wisteria?"

"Yeah Midna?"

"Do you think I'll do alright at Beacon? I mean, what if I can't find a good fighting position and fail at combat classes? Or what if I don't fit in?"

Wisteria pondered her sisters fears for a moment, before smiling lightly. "You'll be great. I'm certain you'll have perfected your fighting stance by the end of your first year." she paused, adopting a more serious face. "And if anyone has a problem with you, I'll fly out right away and sort them out myself."

Midna laughed at her sister's over-protectiveness, eating a bit more of her ice cream before replying.

"I have no doubt that you would. I shouldn't think it will come to that though."

They both laughed, before finishing their ice cream.

"Well... that's that finished. Let's head home." Wisteria stated as she stood and tossed her empty ice cream pot in a nearby trash can.

Midna joined her sister's side and the duo took off down the streets of Mistral, happily discussing their plans for the future.


	5. The Day Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki arrives at Beacon academy. No sooner has he left the airship that he sees a face he never expected to see again.

Loki sat in silence with his arms crossed, doing his best to avoid any and all interaction with other students headed to Beacon. He'd decided to take the time to observe the other students and determine who would make ideal teammates. So far, the only person to catch his eye had been a girl in a red cloak that looked at least two years younger than those around her.

He was contemplating going to speak to her when a bubbly blonde began talking to her. Deciding to let the girls speak to one another, he turned his attention to the news broadcast currently running on one of the holo-screens.

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you Lisa."

The screen changed to show a woman sitting behind a news desk. "Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organisation has now disrupted-"

Loki breathed a sigh of relief as a hologram of a woman cut off the newscast.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon! My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honour of being selected to attend this prestigious academy!" the hologram stated. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it."

Loki scoffed at that. "Some peace... with the White Fang increasing their activities I don't see how they can call this 'peace'." he thought to himself, turning his attention to the view outside as the hologram disappeared.

* * *

As the airships docked at the entrance to the academy, Loki waited for the other students to leave, standing and casually stretching before moving to the exit ramp. He strolled down and inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air. Looking around he spotted something that made his skin crawl and wolf ears flatten in disgust. In front of him was Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, berating the same girl that had caught his interest on the airship.

Opting to see what would come of the situation, Loki moved off to the side, sticking to the shadows of a nearby tree. He didn't have to wait long, as there was a small explosion causing the two girls to be covered in smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Loki noticed another girl pick up a dust bottle before walking toward the Heiress and the girl in the red cloak. He edged forwards slightly, heading toward the girls until he saw the face of the one that had intervened. It had been many months since he had last seen her, but there was no mistaking the face of Blake Belladonna.

Lost in his own mind for a moment, he almost missed the confrontation end as Blake turned and walked off toward the auditorium. He quickly hurried to catch up to her, rushing past the girl in the red cloak and a scrawny blond that was currently helping her off the floor.

Soon closing the distance between them, Loki stopped and called ahead. "Blake!"

Blake froze at her name being called. She turned around and was shocked to see who had called her. "Loki? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same." Loki replied. "Last I saw of you was when you were headed out on that train heist with Adam."

Blake looked to the ground with a pained expression on her face. "I couldn't stay Loki. The lengths Adam was going to... he was going to kill all of the crew members."

Loki sighed, running a hand gently through his hair as they continued their slow walk toward the auditorium.

"I know how you feel Blake. I was just too blind to see it sooner." Loki huffed and looked at the ground. "After you left Adam became blinded by his hatred. Failure was most often than not met with harsh punishment."

Blake looked at Loki with mixed emotion. "Is that the reason you left?"

It was Loki's turn to look at the ground with a pained expression. "I wish it were, but no. My reasons for leaving are far worse." He looked up as he noticed they had arrived at the auditorium. "We should find some place to stand. Unless you would prefer I left you alone?"

"You can do what you want Loki." Blake replied. "Nobody knows who we are here."

"Maybe so..." Loki muttered as he glanced around the room. "I think for now I'm going to head elsewhere for now. I've been observing the other students to see what sort of potential there is but so far I've only seen those that were on the same airship I came in on." Loki smiled lightly as he began walking elsewhere. "It was good seeing you again Blake."

"You too Loki." Blake replied with a small smile, turning to the stage as Professor Ozpin began his speech.

"I'll... keep this brief." Ozpin began steadily, scanning the room to check that he had every student's attention. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." he paused to take a sip from his coffee cup as the students began to whisper among themselves. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only take you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

With his speech over, Ozpin left the stage as Professor Goodwitch stepped up to the microphone. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. B ready. You are dismissed."

Students began filing out of the auditorium. Loki waited for the crowd to thin slightly before he left as well, satisfied with the observations he had made.

* * *

**Beacon Academy - Ballroom - Night time**

Midna lay on her sleeping bag as she wrote a letter to her parents and sister. She wrote about how she thought initiation would go, and what she hoped her teammates would be like.

As she signed the letter and folded it to put in an envelope, she heard shouting nearby. She sealed the letter in the envelope before rolling onto her back to sit up so she could see what was going on.

"Oh,  _now_ you're on my side." Midna heard a girl in a white nightgown say to another girl in a black tank top.

"I was always on your side!" the girl in the black tank top replied.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice." a third girl in an orange tank top exclaimed.

"She's a hazard to my health!" the girl in the night gown shot back, shortly before the candlelight they were standing in was extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.

The three girls went quiet, so Midna took the opportunity to lie back down and get comfortable. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted to sleep, dreaming of what tomorrow would bring.


	6. Initiation Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of initiation is finally at hand, and each student is eager to find out what it entails.

**THE NEXT MORNING - Beacon Academy - Locker Room**

Scarlet sighed as she removed her father's sword from her locker. She had yet to make any progress in creating her own weapon, so she was stuck using what she had.

"Hopefully seeing other people's weapons will give me some ideas..." she thought solemnly.

She closed the locker and attached the sword's sheath to her belt before reaching up and adjusting her ever-present beanie.

Before she could ponder further on weapon designs, the voice of Glynda Goodwitch came through the intercom.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"Well... here we go." Scarlet whispered to herself with a light nod, heading out to Beacon Cliff.

* * *

**MOMENTS LATER - Beacon Cliff**

Axel shifted his weight from foot to foot as he stood on the silver tile near the edge of the cliff, looking back to see the last few first-year students arrive. He looked at a somewhat lanky boy with caramel brown hair closely, before turning his head back to where the headmaster and Professor Goodwitch stood waiting.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin explained.

Professor Goodwitch then took a step forward. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of "teams". Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...  **today**."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin continued. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Slightly further up the line from Axel, Scarlet groaned. While she had resigned herself to the inevitability of being put into a team, she had hoped it would be more controlled than random chance.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you  **will** die." Ozpin instructed. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of the initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

From his place in the line, Loki noticed the blond boy from the day before raise his hand.

" **Good**! Now take your positions." Ozpin instructed, ignoring the boy's hand.

"Poor sod." Loki thought as he crouched down. He heard students further down the line get launched into the air, and braced himself as he noticed the person to his left get sent airborne.

Moments later he was flying through the air. He quickly drew his weapons and positioned himself so they were pointed toward the rapidly approaching treeline. As he got closer, he stuck his weapons into the thick branches and swung himself from tree to tree, gradually slowing himself.

Once he had slowed to a decent momentum, he arched up higher and swung back to land on a branch with clear visibility of the trees and ground around him. Moving forwards across the branches, Loki kept his eyes on the ground, searching for potential threats and other students.

Sounds of growling and gunfire to the east made him alter his path, and he soon found himself at the edge of a small clearing.

He watched as a girl with deep purple hair fought off against a dozen odd Beowolves. The girl was holding her own quite well, until Loki noticed her move her foot in the wrong place causing her to stumble and fall. The Grimm easily picked up on this moment of weakness and began to move in on the girl with furthered aggressiveness.

Loki wasted no time, leaping down to the ground and silently drawing his daggers before rushing forward and stabbing the nearest Beowolf in the back, making it howl out in pain and causing the pack's attention to be drawn to the new threat.

Reversing his grip on the dagger in his left hand, Loki proceeded to cut through the pack, thinning it until only one remained. He stared it down, and it circled him growling.

The beowolf pounced, but no sooner had it left the ground had Loki manoeuvered behind it and grabbed it by the tail, slamming it to the ground before killing it swiftly.

Taking a moment to catch his breath and listen for other Grimm, Loki stretched. He sighed once he was satisfied that it was safe and walked up to the girl who had at this point stood up and was now looking at him with a mix of anger and relief. As he got closer, the girl slapped him hard across the face, making him furrow his brow.

"Is that how you thank the person that just saved your life?" he asked.

"I had it completely under control!" the girl snapped back.

"Oh I noticed. Right up to when you tripped on your own feet and ended up on the floor." Loki commented snarkily. "So... partner. What's your name? I'm Loki Silvanos."

"Midna Atsuke." the girl, now properly introduced as Midna, replied tersely. "Do you know which way the temple is?"

"It should be..." Loki paused, looking around and getting his bearings using the position of the sun. He smirked confidently and pointed northward. "That way."

Midna nodded and began walking in the direction Loki had pointed. "Let's go then. The sooner this is over the better."

* * *

**Elsewhere in the forest**

Scarlet landed roughly on the forest floor, rolling to reduce any damage to her aura. She began heading forward in the direction she had landed in, eager to get a relic and out of the forest as quickly as possible.

As she walked she checked to make sure her beanie hadn't fallen off. "Good. It's still on." Scarlet confirmed to herself silently, checking left and right for any nearby Grimm.

She quickly came to a shallow river and prepared to jump across, when she heard hurried footsteps coming from behind. As she turned to look behind her, she found herself being propelled forward as someone collided with her back, sending them both into the water with a splash.

"Gah what the heck?" Scarlet exclaimed as she wiped any water away from her eyes. She looked around, freezing when she saw her beanie floating in the river. She groaned as she looked up and saw the person that ran into her looking curiously at the cat ears nestled on her head. "Oh no..."

"You're... a faunus?" the person asked as they stood up and shook their clothing lightly, allowing Scarlet time to have a proper look at them.

They were male, with shoulder length red hair styled into slicked back spikes. They wore a black long sleeved trench coat with a red sleeveless shirt underneath along with a pair of baggy tan coloured pants. He had black socks and red and white sneakers on his feet. Around his neck was a flame coloured keffiyeh, and a pair of white headphones lay on the bank of the river away from the water.

"I am." Scarlet replied, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Why. Is that a problem?"

The man chuckled as he walked over to Scarlet and offered her his hand. "Not at all. I was just surprised that you would hide behind a beanie."

Scarlet looked at the hand wearily before deciding to take it. The man pulled her to her feet before he walked over and picked up her beanie.

The man gently rung it out before handing it back to Scarlet. "Here. It's still a bit wet so it'll probably be uncomfortable until it dries a bit more."

"Thanks." Scarlet replied as she took her beanie and put it gently over her cat ears. "So... What's your name."

"Name's Axel." the man answered, before holding a finger to his temple and tapping it lightly. "Got it memorized?"

Scarlet chuckled lightly at that. "My name's Scarlet. It's nice to... well technically you crashed into me. What were you running from anyways?"

Axel looked down sheepishly. "Well, I wasn't exactly running  _away_ from something, more that I saw you come down close to where I landed so I decided to catch up." He walked over to his headphones and picked them up, inspecting them for any damage before putting them around his neck. "I just hadn't counted on just how close you were."

Scarlet smirked as she checked their surroundings for approaching Grimm. The smirk disappeared as she heard rustling in the treeline behind them. She carefully drew her sword, and watched as Axel seemingly summoned his weapons, a pair of chakrams. She narrowed her eyes as she kept an eye on the treeline.

Out from the trees burst over two dozen Beowolves and a small handful of Ursa.

"Are you  _sure_ you weren't running from something?" Scarlet asked Axel incredulously. "Because that certainly looks like something to run from."

Axel swallowed thickly. "Ever think that perhaps I planned this? I'm not one to have overconfidence in my skills when facing this many Grimm."

Scarlet looked at Axel and rolled her eyes, before focusing back on the Grimm. "Well how about this. I'll take the lot on the left, you take the lot on the right, and we meet up in the middle." She faltered as she saw an Ursa Major prowl forward to join the other Grimm. "On second thought... how does running sound?"

Axel took a moment to quickly count the Grimm. "Running sounds good. I count about 30 odd Grimm, and Oum knows how many more are nearby."

"Right." Scarlet affirmed, pulling a dark blue dust crystal from her belt while sheathing her sword. "Let's get running then."

As she turned, she threw the crystal into the river, the impact causing the dust to activate and a wall of ice to erupt from the water.

Scarlet and Axel used the time to make a break to the trees, running as fast as they could away from the small horde.

After a good time of running, Axel and Scarlet slowed to a stop, taking a moment to catch their breaths.

"Do you think... we lost them?" Scarlet asked cautiously between breaths.

"I think so." Axel replied, looking around the area they had stopped at. "Well, I think our luck is improving at least. I think we're close to the relics."

"What makes you think that?" Scarlet asked, before she spotted a group of four students nearby. "Never mind. However, just because there are others nearby doesn't mean that we are near the..." Scarlet stopped, looking toward a bunch of bushes. "Wait did you hear that?"

"Grimm?" Axel queried.

"I don't think so. It sounds more like... another pair of students."

Not a moment later, a male and female emerged from the bushes.

"See. I told you I heard people over here." the male gloated.

The female rolled her eyes and looked over to Scarlet and Axel. "I never said I didn't believe you. Your hearing is better than mine after all." she motioned to the wolf ears on her partner's head.

The wolf faunus shrugged and walked over to Scarlet, holding out his hand. "My name is Loki. My partner over there is Midna." Loki looked at the beanie on Scarlet's head in curiosity before looking her in the eyes and smirking. "Nice to meet you."

Scarlet took Loki's hand and shook it. "I'm Scarlet. The guy over there is Axel." she stated, gesturing over her shoulder to Axel.

Axel nodded his head slightly in greeting before walking over and putting a hand on Scarlet's shoulder. "We should get moving. Those relics aren't going to find themselves."

"Right." Scarlet replied, looking at Axel before looking back at Loki and Midna.

"Do you two want to come with us?" Axel asked as he removed his hand from Scarlet's shoulder.

Midna shrugged and walked toward Axel. "Honestly, I couldn't care less. However, there is strength in numbers, so sure."

"It's settled then." Axel stated happily. "Let's go find those relics!"

The others nodded, and the group headed northward to where they hoped they would soon come across the relics needed for initiation.


	7. Initiation Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After deciding to travel together, Scarlet, Axel, Loki and Midna head further into the Emerald Forest in their search for the relics.

After what seemed like hours of walking, Scarlet, Axel, Loki and Midna arrived at the abandoned temple.

Loki's wolf ears twitched lightly, and he looked off to the right where he saw two groups of four fighting a giant Nevermore and a Death Stalker.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Scarlet asked, following Loki's gaze.

"More than likely. There are four of them against each Grimm." Loki replied. "Besides, we should be concerning ourselves with getting a relic and returning to Ozpin."

"Right." Scarlet nodded, walking forwards to get a closer look at the relics. "Chess pieces? Interesting choice."

"Which one do you want to take?" Axel asked, walking up beside Scarlet and examining the pieces curiously.

Loki walked up to one of the pedestals and picked up a piece, pocketing it before walking to the twin pedestal and throwing the piece to Scarlet with a quick 'heads up'.

Scarlet fumbled briefly before managing to get a firm grip on the relic. She turned it over and inspected it, seeing it was a white queen.

"So now we just head back to Ozpin right?" Midna spoke up from her position of leaning against a pillar. "That was far too easy."

"I agree. We should get a move on in case any Grimm decide to show up." Axel agreed, waiting for Scarlet to pocket their relic before moving forward. "Let's get moving."

A loud crash from the treeline caused the group to halt all movement.

"What was that?" Scarlet asked nervously.

"Sounded like a tree falling over." Loki replied calmly.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I may have been too hasty in saying this was too easy." Midna stated. "We need to get moving. Now."

"Too late." Axel pointed out, looking at the trees. "We've got company."

A large deer-like Grimm emerged from the treeline. It stopped and examined the group of teenagers in curiosity before rearing its head back to let out a terrible roar. Shortly after, a dozen smaller deer-like Grimm appeared and gathered near the large one.

"What do you propose we do now?" Axel asked, hands hovering by his sides.

"We have what we came for. We should run and get back to the cliff." Scarlet suggested, before taking a curious look at the large deer Grimm. "But at the same time, we shouldn't leave this Grimm. This kind don't normally roam the Emerald Forest."

"And how would you know that?" Midna asked.

"I've spent the past 5 months living at Beacon Academy. I was allowed to come here to train." Scarlet explained. "I've seen all the Grimm that are recorded as living here, and this is most definitely not amongst them."

"So what do we do?" Axel asked again. "Do you still suggest running?"

"No." Scarlet decided firmly. "We fight." She looked around the area of ruins they were in, formulating a battle plan. "Though we can't fight here. We risk damaging the ruins and there are still other students headed here. We need to lead it elsewhere so we can take them down safely."

"Sounds like a solid plan." Axel said, flicking his wrists, causing flames to circle around his hands before forming his chakrams.

Sensing the threat, the large deer Grimm reared its head and once more let out a piercing roar. The smaller Grimm surrounding it began to stalk toward the group, causing Scarlet, Loki and Midna to draw their weapons.

Scarlet swung her sword at the closest of the smaller deer Grimm, decapitating it swiftly. Next to her, Loki and Midna charged forward, taking out multiple small Grimm as they went. Scarlet looked briefly at their weapons. Loki wielded two daggers, while Midna wielded a standard looking broadsword alongside a shield.

A roar from the Alpha ahead drew Scarlet's attention back to battle.

"We have its attention now! Let's move." Scarlet called, motioning to the forest.

"Right!" Axel responded, throwing one of his chakrams at the last of the small deer Grimm.

The group gathered and began running to the forest, causing the Alpha deer Grimm to start chasing after them.

After a brief period of running, they found themselves backed against a cliff.

"So what do we do now?" Loki asked as he neared the edge of the cliff.

"Not sure." Scarlet replied, peering over the edge. "How high can you guys jump?"

"Not high enough to jump over that thing." Axel sighed. "But whatever you have in mind, we might as well try."

"And if we do nothing we'll just end up as corpses." Midna added bluntly. "I can't jump higher than that thing."

Scarlet ran the situation over in her mind, trying to think of another strategy. She grinned as a thought presented itself.

"Don't worry about jumping higher, just brace yourselves to jump." she instructed. "On the count of three, we jump. One."

Scarlet sheathed her weapon and crouched down, hovering her hands palm down against the ground. "Two."

Axel, Loki and Midna sheathed their weaponry before mimicking Scarlet's crouched position. They noticed a faint blue glow around Scarlet's hands.

"Three!" Scarlet yelled, flicking her wrists upward as they all jumped, causing ice pillars to erupt under each of them and propel them further in the air. She quickly flicked her wrists downward again as she noticed the Alpha charge. The ice pillars vanished causing the Grimm to go hurtling off the edge, roaring as it fell.

The four students landed on the ground, with Loki being the first to stand and peer over the cliff edge.

"Well that was certainly effective." he noted as Scarlet, Axel and Midna stood and joined him. "How did you manage that without any dust? Was it your semblance?"

Scarlet nodded sheepishly. "Yeah it was. I can conjure and control ice."

"So cryokinesis?" Axel inquired, to which Scarlet nodded again. "Cool."

"We should get back." Midna suggested.

"Right." Scarlet replied. "Let's go."

* * *

**LATER - Beacon Academy - Auditorium**

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" Ozpin announced, watching as they left the stage to be replaced by the next group of students.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR. Led by... Jaune Arc!"

The blond boy looked at Ozpin in shock. "Huh? L-Led by?"

"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin replied as the boy was knocked over by a friendly shoulder bump.

Team JNPR left the stage as the next four stood in front of Ozpin.

"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!"

From their place waiting to be called, Midna raised an eyebrow. "Isn't she a little young to be here?"

Standing next to her, Scarlet nodded. "She's two years younger than the rest of us. But Ozpin wouldn't have given her a chance at Beacon early without a good reason."

Midna hummed in acceptance as Team RWBY left the stage. "Looks like we're up."

Scarlet, Midna, Loki and Axel walked up to Ozpin as their faces came up on the screen.

"Scarlet Frost. Axel Ignazio. Loki Silvanos. Midna Atsuke. The four of you retrieved the white queen pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team FLAM. Led by... Scarlet Frost!"

Scarlet gulped nervously as her team were applauded off the stage.

"Not happy to be made team leader?" Axel asked on seeing Scarlet's nervousness.

"No I am... I just wasn't really expecting it." Scarlet replied.

"You saved us from that Alpha Grimm and you weren't expecting to be made leader?" Midna asked incredulously.

"Well when you put it that way..." Scarlet replied, trailing off as her attention was bought back to the stage.

"And finally: Sora Hikari. Riku Shirogane. Mickey Kogane. Kairi Suiiki. The four of you retrieved the white king pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team SMRK. Led by... Sora Hikari!"

"He actually made it..." Axel muttered to himself, looking at the stage.

"Something wrong Axel?" Scarlet asked, following her partner's gaze.

"Nah. It's nothing." Axel replied with a shrug, looking away from the stage as the final group left.

Ozpin looked out amongst the crowd as he spoke for the final time that evening. "It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year. You are all free to head to your dorms to prepare for classes tomorrow. Sleep well."


End file.
